Two Churches and a boat ride

Early breakfast today and off to church at the cathedral for the English service which was a small service as most of the teachers and school pupils were away. I preached on the Parable of the wedding feast and used an illustration of two cloths, Mary's Pashmina and a dirty old pillow case suitable rubbed in the dirt to explain the principal of the exchange of the cross. Then after meeting a few people coming to the later African service we set out for  Gashonga with our beloved driver Patrick Celestine who used to drive me when we went out with the Rwanda aid clinics. We drove along a good road up towards Bugarama  and the Burundi border. The church was only four weeks old being a church plant from Cyato church , Epraims old parish. It met in a tiny building made of mud with a mud floor they started with 15 people and today the congregation had already grown to about 40-50 all packed into a tiny room. The singing was enthusiastic and the congregation joyfully danced to the sound of two drums, pounded by two young men with joyful energy and rhythm.

 The rented room they hold their service in

 The dancing

 The altar call

Mary and Patrick greeting a little boy

I preached on the same subject but in a much simpler way without notes and Ephraim and Patrick translated.
At the end of the message Ephraim made two altar calls one for non Christians to repent and turn to Christ and one for Christians to tell their neighbours about the gospel about 8 people responded to each appeal.
Then back to the Guest house for  soup the we went down to the Emauralde where we hired a boat to be taken on a trip along the lake shore and we disembarked on a small island called Gihaya with one very poor village where all the the children were in rags and very poor although they looked reasonably healthy there seemed to be a lot of cows, goats and a pig on the island. We saw an enormous amount of bird life as we went along many types of heron kingfishers river and fish eagle, storks and cormorants; also weaver birds and reed warblers.
Then walked back to the guest house and just got in as a tremendous shower started so another tasty dinner and wearily to bed.

 Our group on the boat

One of the fishing boats the men sing as they row 

the sounds drift across the lake to the guest house.

Compassion and a long journey to follow up a flood alleviation study

Today we awoke to unusually cloudy skies but very warm and humid. We walked up to the Compassion project at St Matthews, everywhere was very quiet because today was Umuganda, the community service which everyone participates in on the last Saturday of the month from the president down. Here all the children in the area from Compassion meet. There were nearly 200 children all with a sponsor in the West. They started off with a nutritious meal of the now familiar porridge then Judy showed them one of her stories which is based on Godly Play a very pictorial and reflective way of telling a story designed to make you think. It was the story of creation from Genesis. The children were very attentive and asked very intelligent questions. The they went off to their classes to have health screening and to participate in Umuganda like everybody else in the community.

 Mary and Judy helping distribute the porridge

 Judy presenting the Godly play

Some of the Compassion children

As we walked back the roads slowly got back to normal as their community work finished we went back to the guest house for a bowel of soup; then Basile, Rob's local water engineer, brought his car and GPS. We went up the road to the forest turning left onto the road that takes you up past Nyamasheke to a Methodist hospital and church by  lake Kivu at a place called Kibogora.. Before we could begin work we were treated to a large African buffet by the pastors which took an hour of our precious daylight time. Rob had already surveyed the site and given the data to a graduate student to do an hydrolic study to relieve the flooding problem. However we needed to check it out on the ground and we encountered many changes causing problems as we trekked over the site. The main one being that new houses had been built on potential flood relief ponds and outlets so the only solution was to provide storm tanks that had to be kept empty so that they would fill with a downpour that could then be released slowly into the drainage system. However this proposal was greet with the same enthusiasm by the pastors as an aviator being offered a concrete parachute. It was totally alien to them to spend money on big tanks which could be filled to hold precious rain water for the community used just for flood prevention. So the need for flood relief was hastily reduced to a larger open culvert and the tanks being used for rainwater harvesting. So home we rapidly went as night descended. Strangely we were listening to the English football results, by courtisy of the BBC world service on the car radio.

 The view of lake at Kibagora

 Rob looking for a possible outfall for the water run off

Rob and Peter discussing the project with the pastors.

St Matthew's school

We awoke to a very bird song filled morning all the birds seemed very active today. Mary seemed fully recovered from her upset stomach this morning which was a blessing. When we got up to breakfast the table was almost bear as  a group had been in earlier and scoffed all the eggs. So we had porridge and toast with banana and pineapple which is a delicious way to eat toast. The bananas are tiny and very sweet, the pineapple is really luscious better than anything you can get in England.
Then we walked over to St Matthews school to visit the library Kenneth has been very ill with a problem which needed very delicate surgery. Thankfully he is fully cured and back in full swing at the school. Mary was very keen to visit the library and see how it could be catalogued. It was neat and in order but no system of cataloguing   however the deputy head who we wanted to see was up in Kigali. So we spent some time reviewing what  needed doing and sorting out some of the books into order. At ten Jan and Judy turned up to talk about installing water harvesting on the roof of the new boy's dormitory which was being constructed. The government had made them construct the dormitory as the boys had been sleeping in one of the classrooms which was far from ideal.

 Kenneth showing us the new boys dormitory being constructed

This is how the foundation is constructed using reinforced concrete in a ring 

with reinforced pillars going up and a further ring higher up

This helps them to withstand small earthquakes which happen fairly frequently.

We walked back the long scenic route calling in at the Catholic cathedral for some rest  and shade before continuing down the hill.Lunch was a snack of soup and a pancake, most of our group then went off to visit several widows we had known and some built houses for in the past. This group came back really exhausted having spent some time with Bertha, Bernadette Leocadie and Speciose. While they we were away we met up with a man called Paul who had just returned from a trip into DR Congo, with an organisation called Flame International. They work with women who have been sexually abused and have a ministry of inner healing and train pastors in that work. It is a major problem over there. He works as an electrician so also does a lot of electrical engineering for people hospitals and such like over there. Dinner consisted of stuffed beef, sauté potatoes and imboga (vegetables) followed by a plate of fruit absolutely delicious. Everyone was quite tired so another early night.

A completed project, taking the levels and teaching on obstetric emergencies.

So another beautiful morning, unfortunately Mary awoke with a touch of the runs courtesy of the Emerauld restaurant which we visited last night. It will teach us to stay home and eat the beautiful food at the Peace Guest House. However she quickly recovered over the day and was able to eat a little something this evening . Rob, Jan and myself went with Basile, Rob's water engineer to one of the large water harvesting projects  at St Peters school and church. Water is collected off the roofs into tanks to provide  water which is  collected into tanks to supply water for the children and staff. Aquafilters being used to make it drinkable.

 The tanks and taps being inspected

 Checking the levels with some surveying pupils and instructors

Wate rdoes not flow up hill even in Rwanda

 Do you just wish you had a loo like this in your house?

Rob shakes hands with Basil and Simeon from diocese at end of visit.

Then off to the clinic to do some teaching on obstetrics the nurses were all very attentive and keen to learn.
Demanding more after my prepared talk was finished, then outside to teach the nurses from the Postes Sante (small satellite clinics in the villages)  how to operate the Aquafilters which had been given to them. Finally of to Jonathan's house to see a poorly baby of the mother whose family is staying with Jonathan at present. The a walk home through warm light rain to a well earned supper.

26 11 14 Compassion, rain, Pastors from Congo, feast by the lake, African dancing

We were awoken yet again by amazing birdsong and a fried egg breakfast. Then we were collected by taxi to go to see our Compassion boy that we support called Theophile. It was a very emotional reunion we brought him a few gifts ans were greeted by mum and dad and a fair number of their ten children. Theophile had prepared a little speech in English we he said very well. We inspected there fairly large garden which looked very good. There livestock comprised one goat plus her kid sadly one of  goats had died; plus two hens and a cockerel so they had some fresh eggs.

 Theophile our sponsored boy with his mum and the lovely gift they had prepared for us.

 The Aquafilter is really working well a year on and is being kept in a very clean state.

 Some of the family of 12 with the two Compassion workers

Theophile's goat and hens which he bought with birthday and Christmas presents we sent

 Then back to the guest house where it absolutely tipped it down for several hours the Congolese pastors, Ebonye and Echiba, who we had been waiting for finally arrived absolutely soaked to the skin it was lovely to meet up with these wonderful individuals who had helped to ship some of the filters into the DR Congo in the past. We spent time with them Judah gave them a computer given by her daughter, I gave them some teaching materials on diabetes on a data stick which they were very pleased to receive and John and Rob reviewed some stories of filters which were not working properly and they were advised and retaught about their use.

 Peter teaching a widow from Congo how to use a family Aquafilter

 John and Peter demonstrating the community filter to Congo pastors

 and teaching them how to correct the simple faults

 such as blocked pre-filters which had developed over 2 years.

View from the restaurant just as sun setting.

Finally we went to a restaurant in a guest house further along the lake and had a final celebratory meal as John and Jill were leaving for Kenya in the morning finally we came back and were taught an African song and participated in some dances which Peter and Desimous taught us, mostly involving cows and their horns, also on einvolving a lot of high jumping. finally exhausted we climbed into bed  

Nkombo Island

25^th of November Nkombo island 13 people in a Toyota Land Cruiser

Tuesday started bright with a wonderful array of small very colourful African birds surrounding us in the trees as we had breakfast this morning  Then off to Nkombo island we all piled into the Land Cruiser each carrying a small filter our day bags and a large blue crate containing a community water filter.

We drove down a rough track the male muzungus in the back were quite sore by the time we had got to the end of a very bumpy road, not having the advantage of African bottoms!

So a trek in the hot sun to the top of the island with all our gear and arrived at the feeding centre surrounded by a huge throng of little people dressed in rags each holding a muzungus hand or the hand of someone holding one.

We were pleased to see that the children in the feeding program were looking very much better for their twice weekly feeds consisting of a very sweet mixed flour guel which they all drank down with immense satisfaction. Finally the children went outside and were entertained for ages by a tube of bubbles.

 The feeding clinic

 Judy delivering knitwear made by Southover ladies

 Jonathan and Obadias with two new friends

Peter teaching the use of the Aquafilter

Inside the people designated to teach the rest of the people were congregating to learn how to use the Aquuafilter. The plan was to give an Aqafilter to the two congregations  on the island one per family. Other groups were receiving a different sort of filter from a different organisation trading in carbon offsets. Peter did an excellent job of training them showing his school teacher skills then people from the school were trained on the big filter which was going to them. Finally to the pastors house for a wonderful lunch of locally caught fish and African vegetables we are always amazed at the generosity of the poor people. The back over the lake to another bumpy ride home just before the rain started which has set in for the evening.  

Mount cyangugu clinic

23 11 14 Mount Cyangugu

I awoke up to a bright morning with beautiful birdsong and fisherman singing on the lake. After breakfast  the little group had various tasks Rob John and Peter were mending filters then a visit from the pastor and teacher from the church we visited yesterday to teach them how to use the two filters which they has donated.

I went up to the clinic which was a hive of activity very busy with many people attending the out patients a few inpatients and a very busy building plot where the new clinic for maternity services was going up. Apparently this will be ready for use by December but there certainly seemed a lot to do.  I had a tour and delivered some medical books on midwifery from England then a pleasant walk back to a light lunch of soup.

Some of the team went off to see the Mayor who is the head of local administration. Jonathan and Judy went up to town and were going on to visit a widow with HIV. Mary and I went back up to Mount Cyangugu by taxi, Mary to visit Bertha and myself to do a teaching session at the clinic.   The nurses really enjoyed the french DVD and my powerpoint presentation but quite dificult to get them to be that interactive as it is not the sort of teaching they are used to.

 Mary giving Bertha her laptop

Peter training pastors from Gisakura Church

Mary was  greeted with open arms by Bertha and Ephraim. Many mixed emotions as Bertha had just given birth to a beautiful little baby but her mother had just died very suddenly of a gastric haemorrhage.  However they welcomed us very generously providing Mary with a meal while I did the teaching. They were overjoyed to see the computer we had brought for them from Barbara, which they will recieve at the end of the trip. We were walking home when a very smrt new car drew up and we were ushered into the bishop’s car for a ride home. He stayed and chated for about an hour. The an evening meal of really african buffet: yams, matoke, casava, sambasa the little fish that come from the lake and the red African beans which I love; followed by really jucy pineapple. Then we did some African drumming on the table, finally to bed

    

Gisakura church

The first cuckoo of spring ; Gisakura Church 23 11 14

We were awakened by a dawn chorus which included a very raucous Turacao a beatiful black bird with a beatiful golden and red crest, and the very incongrous sound of a cuckoo.

A quick breakfast then off to the church with 10 squashed into the Discovery 4wd. We were off with the bishop and a host of clergy to open the new church at Gisakura.  This little church met on a piece of land given by the tea factory originally under a tarpaulin tied between two trees and a frame then in a little ramshackle wooden building and finally this beautiful purpose built church the congregation have been gathering together rocks and doing fundraising to help build it together with a few of us from Southover church the diocese providing the roof. So the people feel it is very much their building. There was a ceremonial cutting of the ribbon with the pastor a community representative and four of us muzungus all holding the scissors.  So their were many speaches and thank yous  plus the normal service. One of the muzungus was asked to preach and I drew the short straw, so the story of the wise and foolish builders seemed to be the logical text to preach from.

Outside Gisacura church with Aquafilter which we presented to new church

Welcome banner welcoming us to Gisakura church 

There was much singing and dancing includingsome amazing dramatic dancing telling the story of David dancing while he was bringing back the ark to Jerusalem and a very cross wife. We were presented with the most wonderfully wrapped gifts. Then everyone piled down the road to a little area near a new guesthouse, which was being built, to partake in an enormous feast accompanied by the obligatory Fanta. Finally after some final speaches and the bishop’s blessing we all crammed back into our cars and up the very  steep unmade drive before it started to rain. Finally home Rob John and Peter spent some time mending some of the filters that had suffered damage in the field trials so there was a very stong smell of glue. So a light supper and to bed.

Journey through forest

22 11 14

Journey through the forest and “Le Toure de Rwanda”

Today we journey up through the forest to Cygagugu diocese we hire a bus the bus driver starts off from Kamambe our final destination and drives up starting at 3 am then after a brief rest picks us up at 11am and drives all the way back to Kamambe carrying 10 of us all our luggage and boxes of Aquafilters and various bottles and buckets. All went well until all the traffic was ordered to stop on the side of the road and we were made to wait as this cycle race sped past. So there was first a great cavalcade of vehcles and police outriders on mtor cycles, then the first breakaway group of two riders sped past then a second following group then the large peleton and finally several rather disheartened looking tail enders. The cyclist represented many African nations certainly the land of a thousand hills is a good place to hold a challenging bicycle race.

Finally we got on our way stopping at Nyamata to pick up Peter our good friend and translator and delicious yoghurt which they make in that area. Then on to a picnic stop just before the forest we were watched by two hungry boys who suddenly multiplied to a small army of hungry children and an old man when it became obvious there was spare picnic to give away. So to stop this descending into chaos Peter who is a scholl teacher organised them into a line  with the smallest first and the eldest last and all recieved a little. Then on through the wonderful tropical rain forest with the occasional monkey for amusament along the way, the road was very difficultas it is being remade with many roadworks. Fially out through tea plantations arriving at the guest house after dark to a wonderful welcome from the staff.   Jour

A strange way to spend a birthday

A strange way to spend a birthday.

Woke up from a very good nights sleep feeling much refreshed from the previous day and a halfs journey. I was reminded by a big stack of cards that it was my birthday, thank you the all who sent them particularly from the one with the amafranga in which bought four of us a lovely lunch. At breakfast more cards and lovely presents.  Breakfast consisted of beautiful fruit the most juicy pineapple and african fruit salad dumped over a weetabix .

Rob and Jan and the Griffiths had various meetings concerning the water filter trial project. We dropped in to the lawyers of hope office which is now situated at Solace Guest house to drop off a letter and someone gave us a little presentation of their work. Basically they a Christian group of lawyers who provide their services free for the poor and young people, Rwandan lawyers cost over £500 to hire which is beyond the means of all but the privileged few. They also educated local leaders to report to them episodes where young people were abused or taken advantage of; also they work in the prisons with offenders to stop young people re-offending.

We then walked over to the genocide memorial site, situated on side of one of the hills next to the one where the guest house is situated. We walked up past many government offices then through a more commercial section with many little shop workshops where they manufactured for example coils for motors with great reels of copper wire seen through the door. The site is set in beautiful garden and is very peaceful. It consists of large mass graves and an educational exhibition and museum. It remains a very painful place to visit but we were able to take a large part of the day walking around the exhibits and reflecting on that very recent past. Looking over to the hill on which the rising commercial tall buildings going up it becomes more difficult to imagine a city total consumed by carnage and filled with mutilated bodies.

 New auditorium at Kigali Genocide Memorial site.

 Mary at new peace sculpture at Genocide memorial site Kigali

So how is it that this beautiful peaceloving people turned into killers? Why did Cain murder Abel?

The process probably started back in colonial days before there were many tribes living in relative easy co-existance then the colonist catagarised them into two ethnic groups and gave them identity cards. So they were labeled. Slowly, percieved inequalities and injustice led to escalating violence.

I have been reading a book by Miroslav Volf on the origins of Genocide called Exclusion or Embrace.

How do you kill your brother? It is not easy but if your brother becomes the other, the outsider, excluded from your presence it is easy to denegrate him and rename him. Once he becomes a “cockroach” he is easily stamped out. We have a choice either we exclude the other, the enemy or we embrace him. Embrace is typified in the Christian bible by the story of the prodigal son, the command to love your enemy; basically it is the message of the cross.

On our way home to the guest house we visited an art project, it was a riot of jubilant colour, full of very joyful young artists expressing themselves in very vibrant African colours and themes but in very new and creative ways.  It made a wonderful counterpoint to see these young Rwandans expressing just the joy of being alive.

We arrived back to a much needed rest and reflection. Yet another little incident before our evening meal I had poped out to buy a packet of Rwandan teabags (the best in the world) when I came across a little orphan chap on the pavement begging he was someone called Oscar we had met on a previous visit as usual he was hungry he lives with his grandma has one eye but even he goes to school. So he went off happily with a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to feed his mum.

Finally a lovely beef stew as my birthday meal , plus a wonderful cake which Jean Marie our cook just rustled up at the end of our meal. 

     

Waiting for the taxi

We are off on our little adventure to Rwanda again. Hopefully we are all packed up and ready to go.  We being: Judy, Mary and myself. Rob and Jan who have now been there for a week and our friend Jonathan, who is staying in Cyangugu, who will come up to meet us in Kigali. . We hope to visit our Compassion child, teach in the upgraded clinic forward the project to supply Aquafilters for Nkombo island, help in a library and attend the re-opening off a church building we first visited when it was meeting under a tarpaulin in a tea plantation just out by the rain forest. Not to mention many meetings both with old friends and to forward our projects. We also hope to visit the lovely widows which the church has built houses for in the past.
 So we would appreciate your prayers for the coming two weeks, especially for good health,safe travelling and generally renewal and strengthening of all the friendships we have developed also for Judy who will be going out with us for the first time .